Grimoire Vocabulary — Place Names of Ireland

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Grimoire Vocabulary — Place Names of Ireland

53 entries in this theme. Use the search box below to find a specific word, or scroll the table.

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Irish	Ogham	How to say it	English	Source	Note
an Bhreatain Bheag	᚛ᚐᚅ ᚁᚆᚏᚓᚐᚈᚐᚔᚅ ᚁᚆᚓᚐᚌ᚜	`un VRA-tin VYUG`	wales	Logainm	Wales — literally ‘the little Britain’, distinguishing it from An Bhreatain Mhór (Britain).
An Cabhán	᚛ᚐᚅ ᚉᚐᚁᚆᚐᚅ᚜	`un KOW-awn`	cavan	Logainm	Cavan. The hollow.
An Clár	᚛ᚐᚅ ᚉᚂᚐᚏ᚜	`un KLAWR`	clare	Logainm	County Clare — ‘the plain’ or ‘the level place.’
An Daingean	᚛ᚐᚅ ᚇᚐᚔᚅᚌᚓᚐᚅ᚜	`un DANG-un`	dingle	Logainm	Dingle. An Daingean means ‘the fortress.’ One of the strongest Munster Gaeltacht areas.
An Dún	᚛ᚐᚅ ᚇᚒᚅ᚜	`un DOON`	down	Logainm	County Down — ‘the fort.’
An Iarmhí	᚛ᚐᚅ ᚔᚐᚏᚋᚆᚔ᚜	`un EER-vee`	westmeath	Logainm	County Westmeath — ‘the western middle.’ Carved out of the older province of Meath.
An Iúr	᚛ᚐᚅ ᚔᚒᚏ᚜	`un YOOR`	newry	Logainm	Newry — ‘the yew tree.’ Saint Patrick is said to have planted a yew here.
An Longfort	᚛ᚐᚅ ᚂᚑᚅᚌᚃᚑᚏᚈ᚜	`un LONG-furt`	longford	Logainm	County Longford — ‘the fortress.’
An Mhí	᚛ᚐᚅ ᚋᚆᚔ᚜	`un VEE`	meathsacred place Old Irish	Logainm	Meath — ‘the middle.’ Was once the fifth province (along with Ulster, Munster, Leinster, Connacht); the seat of the High Kings of Ireland at Tara.
An Rinn	᚛ᚐᚅ ᚏᚔᚅᚅ᚜	`un rin`	ring	Logainm	An Rinn — Ring, Co. Waterford. The only Munster Gaeltacht outside Kerry/West Cork.
an tSionainn	᚛ᚐᚅ ᚈᚄᚔᚑᚅᚐᚔᚅᚅ᚜	`un TYIN-un`	shannon	Logainm	The River Shannon — Ireland’s longest river, from Co. Cavan to the Atlantic at Limerick. Named for the goddess Sionann.
Aontroim	᚛ᚐᚑᚅᚈᚏᚑᚔᚋ᚜	`AYN-trum`	antrim	Logainm	County Antrim. From aon (one) + droim (ridge).
Ard Mhacha	᚛ᚐᚏᚇ ᚋᚆᚐᚉᚆᚐ᚜	`ord WAH-khuh`	armaghsacred place Old Irish	Logainm	Armagh — ‘height of Macha.’ The goddess Macha gave her name to the seat of Saint Patrick’s church and the historical primacy of Ireland.
Baile Átha Cliath	᚛ᚁᚐᚔᚂᚓ ᚐᚈᚆᚐ ᚉᚂᚔᚐᚈᚆ᚜	`BAL-uh AW KLEE-uh`	dublin	Logainm	Dublin — literally ‘town of the hurdle ford.’ The crossing point of the Liffey where wattle hurdles were laid for fording. The Norse called the same site Dyflinn — ‘black pool’ — which gives English ‘Dublin.’
Beanntraí	᚛ᚁᚓᚐᚅᚅᚈᚏᚐᚔ᚜	`BAN-tree`	bantry	Logainm	Bantry, Cork. From the Beanntraighe (Beann’s people).
Béal Feirste	᚛ᚁᚓᚐᚂ ᚃᚓᚔᚏᚄᚈᚓ᚜	`bayl FERSH-cheh`	belfast	Logainm	Belfast — literally ‘mouth of the Farset’ (the river Farset, now culverted).
Caiseal	᚛ᚉᚐᚔᚄᚓᚐᚂ᚜	`KASH-ul`	cashel	Logainm	Cashel, Co. Tipperary — site of the Rock of Cashel (Carraig Phádraig), seat of the Kings of Munster.
Ciarraí	᚛ᚉᚔᚐᚏᚏᚐᚔ᚜	`KEER-ee`	kerry	Logainm	County Kerry — ‘descendants of Ciar.’ Strongest Munster Gaeltacht; West Kerry preserves ancient pronunciation.
Cill Airne	᚛ᚉᚔᚂᚂ ᚐᚔᚏᚅᚓ᚜	`kil AHR-nuh`	killarney	Logainm	Killarney — ‘church of the sloes.’ Cill (church) is the most common Irish prefix in place names, marking sites of early Christian foundations.
Cill Chainnigh	᚛ᚉᚔᚂᚂ ᚉᚆᚐᚔᚅᚅᚔᚌᚆ᚜	`kil KHAN-ee`	kilkenny	Logainm	Kilkenny — Church of Cainnech. Saint Cainnech (Kenneth) founded a monastery here.
Cill Dara	᚛ᚉᚔᚂᚂ ᚇᚐᚏᚐ᚜	`kil DAR-uh`	kildaresacred place Old Irish	Logainm	Kildare — ‘church of the oak.’ Saint Brigid’s monastery, by the sacred oak.
Cill Mhantáin	᚛ᚉᚔᚂᚂ ᚋᚆᚐᚅᚈᚐᚔᚅ᚜	`kil VON-tawn`	wicklow	Logainm	Wicklow in Irish — ‘church of Mantán’ (Saint Mantán, missionary).
Cill Mocheallóg	᚛ᚉᚔᚂᚂ ᚋᚑᚉᚆᚓᚐᚂᚂᚑᚌ᚜	`kil MUH-khul-ohg`	kilmallock	Logainm	Kilmallock — church of Mocheallóg, an early saint.
Conamara	᚛ᚉᚑᚅᚐᚋᚐᚏᚐ᚜	`KUN-uh-mar-uh`	connemara	Logainm	Connemara. Likely ‘Conmaicne by the sea’ — territory of the Conmaicne tribe. The largest Connacht Gaeltacht.
Corcaigh	᚛ᚉᚑᚏᚉᚐᚔᚌᚆ᚜	`KUR-kee`	cork	Logainm	Cork. Corcaigh means ‘marsh’ — the city was built on the marshes of the Lee.
Doire	᚛ᚇᚑᚔᚏᚓ᚜	`DUR-uh`	derrysacred place Old Irish	Logainm	Derry. Doire means ‘oak grove’ — the original sacred grove where Colm Cille founded a monastery in 546.
Gaeltacht	᚛ᚌᚐᚓᚂᚈᚐᚉᚆᚈ᚜	`GAYL-tukht`	irish-speaking region	Logainm	Gaeltacht — the regions where Irish is spoken as a community language. Strong Gaeltachtaí: West Kerry, Conamara, Donegal, Aran Islands, Múscraí.
Gaillimh	᚛ᚌᚐᚔᚂᚂᚔᚋᚆ᚜	`GAL-iv`	galway	Logainm	Galway. Etymology contested; possibly from Gaillimh, a mythological woman drowned in the river.
Galltacht	᚛ᚌᚐᚂᚂᚈᚐᚉᚆᚈ᚜	`GAUL-tukht`	english-speaking region	Logainm	Galltacht — the English-speaking regions of Ireland (everywhere outside the Gaeltacht).
Gaoth Dobhair	᚛ᚌᚐᚑᚈᚆ ᚇᚑᚁᚆᚐᚔᚏ᚜	`GEE DOH-er`	gweedore	Logainm	Gweedore — heart of the Donegal Gaeltacht.
Gleann Dá Loch	᚛ᚌᚂᚓᚐᚅᚅ ᚇᚐ ᚂᚑᚉᚆ᚜	`glun daw LUKH`	glendalough	Logainm	Glendalough — ‘glen of two lakes.’ Saint Kevin’s monastic city in Wicklow.
Inis Meáin	᚛ᚔᚅᚔᚄ ᚋᚓᚐᚔᚅ᚜	`in-ish MAY-in`	inishmaan	Logainm	Inishmaan — ‘middle island.’ The most Irish-speaking of the Aran Islands.
Inis Mór	᚛ᚔᚅᚔᚄ ᚋᚑᚏ᚜	`in-ish MOHR`	inishmore	Logainm	Inishmore — ‘big island.’ Largest of the three Aran Islands.
Inis Oírr	᚛ᚔᚅᚔᚄ ᚑᚔᚏᚏ᚜	`in-ish EER`	inisheer	Logainm	Inisheer — ‘east island.’ Smallest of the Aran Islands.
Laois	᚛ᚂᚐᚑᚔᚄ᚜	`leesh`	laois	Logainm	County Laois — named for Loígis, an early people of the area.
Learpholl	᚛ᚂᚓᚐᚏᚚᚆᚑᚂᚂ᚜	`LAR-fuhl`	liverpool	Logainm	Liverpool — historically the principal port of Irish emigration to Britain.
Liatroim	᚛ᚂᚔᚐᚈᚏᚑᚔᚋ᚜	`LEE-uh-trum`	leitrim	Logainm	County Leitrim — ‘grey ridge.’
Loch Garman	᚛ᚂᚑᚉᚆ ᚌᚐᚏᚋᚐᚅ᚜	`lukh GAR-mun`	wexford	Logainm	Wexford in Irish. Loch Garman — Garman’s lake. Norse name Veisafjorðr gives English ‘Wexford.’
Luimneach	᚛ᚂᚒᚔᚋᚅᚓᚐᚉᚆ᚜	`LIM-nukh`	limerick	Logainm	Limerick. Luimneach means ‘bare ground’ — exposed riverside terrain.
Lú	᚛ᚂᚒ᚜	`loo`	louth	Logainm	Louth. Smallest Irish county. Named for Lugh, where the god Lugh’s horse Aonbhárr was tethered.
Maigh Eo	᚛ᚋᚐᚔᚌᚆ ᚓᚑ᚜	`my OH`	mayo	Logainm	Mayo — Plain of the Yew. Ancient yew tree gave the county its name.
Muineachán	᚛ᚋᚒᚔᚅᚓᚐᚉᚆᚐᚅ᚜	`MIN-ukh-awn`	monaghan	Logainm	County Monaghan — ‘place of small thickets.’
Nua-Eabhrac	᚛ᚅᚒᚐᚓᚐᚁᚆᚏᚐᚉ᚜	`NOO-uh AY-vrukh`	new york	Logainm	New York City. From nua (new) + Eabhrac (the Irish form of York, from Old Norse Jórvík).
Oileáin Árann	᚛ᚑᚔᚂᚓᚐᚔᚅ ᚐᚏᚐᚅᚅ᚜	`il-AWN AW-runn`	aran islands	Logainm	The Aran Islands — three islands off the Galway coast (Inis Mór, Inis Meáin, Inis Oírr); a Gaeltacht stronghold.
Port Láirge	᚛ᚚᚑᚏᚈ ᚂᚐᚔᚏᚌᚓ᚜	`purt LAWR-guh`	waterford	Logainm	Waterford — literally ‘port of the haunch (or the man Lárag).’ The Norse name was Vedrarfjorðr, giving English ‘Waterford.’
Ros Comáin	᚛ᚏᚑᚄ ᚉᚑᚋᚐᚔᚅ᚜	`rus KUM-awn`	roscommon	Logainm	County Roscommon — ‘wood of Coman’ (Saint Coman, founder of an early monastery).
Sceilg Mhichíl	᚛ᚄᚉᚓᚔᚂᚌ ᚋᚆᚔᚉᚆᚔᚂ᚜	`SKEL-ig vih-HEEL`	skellig michael	Logainm	Skellig Michael — the larger of the two Skellig islands off Co. Kerry; site of an early-Christian monastic settlement, UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sligeach	᚛ᚄᚂᚔᚌᚓᚐᚉᚆ᚜	`SHLIG-ukh`	sligo	Logainm	Sligo. Means ‘shelly place’ — the river Garavogue carries shells down to the bay.
Tiobraid Árann	᚛ᚈᚔᚑᚁᚏᚐᚔᚇ ᚐᚏᚐᚅᚅ᚜	`CHIB-rud AW-run`	tipperary	Logainm	County Tipperary — ‘well of Ára’ (a sacred spring).
Trá Lí	᚛ᚈᚏᚐ ᚂᚔ᚜	`traw LEE`	tralee	Logainm	Tralee — strand of the river Lee.
Tír Chonaill	᚛ᚈᚔᚏ ᚉᚆᚑᚅᚐᚔᚂᚂ᚜	`cheer KHUN-il`	donegal	Logainm	Donegal in Irish — ‘land of Conall’ (Conall, brother of Eoghan). Modern Donegal Town is Dún na nGall, fort of the foreigners.
Tír Eoghain	᚛ᚈᚔᚏ ᚓᚑᚌᚆᚐᚔᚅ᚜	`cheer OH-in`	tyrone	Logainm	Tyrone — ‘land of Eoghan.’ Eoghan was son of Niall of the Nine Hostages; Tír Eoghain was his territory.
Uíbh Fhailí	᚛ᚒᚔᚁᚆ ᚃᚆᚐᚔᚂᚔ᚜	`EEV AL-ee`	offaly	Logainm	County Offaly — ‘descendants of Failghe.’

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